The Panic Café
by Ainahim Twilightbait
Summary: AU Vampire!Zack/Mortal!Cloud. Co-written with RainbowSerenity. It's dangerous for mortals in the Panic Café, but thanks to a certain vampire, Cloud just can't keep away.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **The Panic Café

**Authors: **Ainahim Twilightbait and RainbowSerenity

**Pairings: **Zack/Cloud and some Sephiroth/Genesis for good measure.

**Rating: **M overall, but just T so far.

**A/N: **Ainahim's Notes – Well, RS and I decided that vampire fics littered every pairing of every fandom except Zack/Cloud, where there doesn't seem to be that many, if any. So we started a vampire!Zack and mortal!Cloud RP together, and we decided to transfer it into story format and upload it for all of you. Keep in mind, it's pretty difficult to do, because during a roleplay, the thoughts of every character is showcased, making it a little choppy in story format. I did the best I could when transferring it. Hope you like!

RS's Notes – Uh, what she said. xD

**DISCLAIMER: We do not claim to own anything Final Fantasy related. This monstrosity proves our statements further, being as it has nothing to do with the FFVII universe.**

* * *

**The Panic Café**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Tifa sighed at her application, tapping her pencil against her temple before she glanced at Cloud across the table, who, of course, was lost in a book. "What are you reading now?"

"I don't want to tell you," Cloud said quietly, knowing full well that whenever he mentioned the vampires he read countless novels about, Tifa made fun of him. Nevertheless, she edged her chair closer to his, trying to see the cover.

"Because it's about _lies _again?" she asked.

"They aren't called 'lies,' Tifa. They're called 'vampires.' And this is a fictional novel in any case."

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, exactly, Cloud. _Fiction._ You know that means they aren't real, right?" she huffed before writing something else on her application. "You're way too obsessed. I'm worried about you."

Cloud sighed unhappily in return. "I know what fiction means. However, there are still plenty of non-fiction novels relating to theories on the history of vampires. I happen to like reading both," he paused for a moment, "and I'm not 'way too obsessed,' as you put it."

"Cloud, when you'd rather sit at home and read about them then go out to dinner, that's obsession." She shook her head. "And you're obsessed."

He pouted and leaned back in his chair. "Don't blame me. Blame yourself for still caring about me anyway."

Tifa patted his arm gently. "Of course I care about you, and that's not going to stop, no matter what happens. You know that."

Cloud smiled at that and closed his book. Tifa would probably still love him even if he was a one-eyed alien. "Why are you so worried about my obsession anyway, if you're so convinced they aren't real?"

"I don't know, I guess…I just don't want you to focus on one thing." Tifa looked over her app once more and sighed before signing her name. "Oh, and you're coming with me to this club tonight. I'm trying for a bartending job there."

Cloud looked over the application and raised an eyebrow. "The Panic Café? The one that advertises as being 'dangerous to mortals?'"

Once again, Tifa shrugged. "Yeah, it's kind of a thing with them. But don't worry, I've seen it, and it's pretty mortal I'm gonna get ready," she said while patting his shoulder. "You just…read your book of liiiies."

He pretended to scoff. "Is it so hard to say 'vampire?'" he started to say playfully, but she'd already disappeared into her room to change.

"It's hard to talk about something that doesn't exist!" she called from inside her bedroom.

Cloud went up to the closed door and called back, "Not particularly. Gamers talk about RPG characters all the time, and they certainly aren't real. See? And on top of that, people talk about characters in novels they read. Thirdly, you still can't entirely prove that vampires _aren't_ real."

"True, but people don't normally make it their life's work to know everything about them!"

Even though he knew she couldn't see it, Cloud pouted again. "…you know, just because I'm temporarily jobless…"

Tifa emerged from her room in her usual bartending outfit, twirling her keys in her hand. "Maybe you should get a job here, too. I'm sure they could use servers or something."

"No," Cloud responded, glaring. "I've told you time and time again after I quit working at 50's. I don't do food service."

Tifa rolled her eyes and grabbed Cloud's wrist, leading him to the door. "This isn't exactly food service, it's a bar. They only do drinks at Panic Café, silly."

"It's still serving a bunch of assholes. I don't do it."

The raven-haired woman tugged on her best friend's hand again and practically shoved him in the car. "Well, why don't we hang out there for awhile and then you can decide?"

Cloud buckled his seatbelt with a grumble. "I'll still decide 'no.'"

Tifa started the ignition and drove off. "I guess we'll find out. And stop pouting or I'll hide all of your books when we get home." At this, Cloud whipped around to stare at her in shock, eyes wide.

"You wouldn't."

"I would, and you know it." She grinned evilly as she talked. "Remember that one time you didn't believe me and all of your underwear ended up mysteriously disappearing?"

There was a brief silence. "...as much as I try to forget."

Tifa laughed and soon parked in front of a small, dark, and mysterious building that probably would have been invisible if not for the glowing sign on the door. "Huh. This place didn't look so shady in daylight."

Cloud knew he was going to have fun with this and smirked. "That's because the creatures of the night can't attend during daylight hours. Duh," he said just to piss his best friend off, who scoffed and got out of her car.

"Right, Cloud, right." She surveyed the outside of the bar again. "I hope there aren't too many fanatics here."

He followed her to the door, milking this as much as possible. "Oh, there will be."

"No, I mean like…real fanatics that actually go all out with the fake fangs and stuff." Tifa shuddered a little. There was something about the dedication that seemed completely unnatural to her.

"Mm, see, even I don't do that. Guess I'm not too obsessed, then." There was a tone in the blonde's voice that sounded briefly victorious.

"Whatever," Tifa responded in a blank tone. She looked around, surprised that there wasn't a bouncer or anything at the door, before stepping inside, her ears immediately blasted with loud waves of music. "Holy crap!"

Cloud cringed at just how loud the music was turned up. "You want my answer? Still NO."

Tifa shook her head and dragged Cloud over to the bar, where the music was mysteriously lower in a strange way that didn't make sense with setup of the club. Once his ears were free from being bombarded by noise, Cloud surveyed the scene on the dance floor. Something entranced him by the sight, although he wasn't quite sure what. Bodies being pressed close together was something to be seen at any sort of nightclub, but the way people were dancing at Panic Café seemed so otherworldly. He thought it was beautiful.

"May I help you?" asked a bartender as Tifa sat down.

"Ah, yes, actually. I heard you were in need of…another one of you?" she responded with a laugh, sliding over her application. The bartended nodded and took it.

"Yes, we are. Although – "

Just then, a tall, intimidating silver-haired man appeared as if out of thin air, his eyes glowing steadily. "Can you handle the nights?" he asked in a captivating low voice.

Cloud froze at how suddenly someone with such presence could just come out of nowhere. It damn near gave him a heart attack. "Holy shit!"

The bartender shoved the application at the man with long silver hair, before walking away and murmuring, "Some owner. Scum."

Tifa blinked at the exchange and at the man who had just appeared in front of her. "Erm…"

The remaining bartender raised an eyebrow, his gaze drifting towards Cloud and lingering on him – or rather, his neck – for nearly a moment too long before he turned back to Tifa. "You were interested in a job here?"

She nodded in response, subconsciously shivering under those glowing eyes. "Yes, of course. I'm sure I could get used to the noise."

"If it bothers you, just call for Genesis," the man said. "He'll deal with it if he isn't…occupied otherwise."

As if on cue, another man with deep auburn hair appeared from under the bar. His eyes glowed as well, but his pulsed faintly, as if responding to some deep beat. "You called, Sephiroth?"

Tifa tensed in her seat. "Are you Genesis?"

"Indeed I am," he said, resting his chin on Sephiroth's shoulder and extending his hand to Tifa, who nodded and took it, introducing herself to Genesis.

Cloud knew he should be thinking this was all crazy and weird, but he was sincerely intrigued by the glowing eyes of the men on the other side of the bar. No _human's_ eyes should have glowed like that, even under the presence of pulsing lights.

"Tifa will be our new bartender, if she can handle the _noise_," Sephiroth told Genesis and chuckled at what seemed like a private joke.

She lit up a little. "Oh, so I have the job?"

"If you're still interested."

Almost as if in protest, a younger-looking dark-haired man appeared literally out of nowhere in between Tifa and Cloud's stools, wiping his bottom lip with his middle finger before murmuring, "You are aware that there's a reason it's called The _Panic _Café?"

This, of course, scared the living daylights out of Cloud, far more than the previous two appearances, and he fell off of his barstool. "Ow…" he whimpered, but managed to crawl back up without losing _all_ of his dignity. "Yeah, I'm starting to see why it has that particular title. And who might you be?"

Genesis' glowing eyes flashed and smirked at the 'man' on the other side of the bar. "This is Zack," he said, his smirk seeming to say that was the entire introduction Zack needed.

Tifa smiled shakily. "Hello there, Zack."

Zack steadied Cloud by putting a hand on his shoulder, looking between him and Tifa for a few moments before moving his gaze to the bartenders a bit angrily. "Seph, Genesis? Can I speak to you two for a minute?"

Sephiroth smirked, looking very unsurprised at Zack's request. "Certainly," he said, turning to Tifa and Cloud. "Do feel free to mingle, get used to the place. You'll probably be spending a lot of time here, after all."

When the three finally found a secluded corner, Genesis was the first to speak up. "What is this all about?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

But Zack wasn't taking questions. "What the _hell _are those two doing here?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Sephiroth asked in a falsely innocent tone. He was so good at laying on the charm that he seemed to do it unconsciously sometimes. "Do you know them?"

"No, of course not. But you can't tell me you two need _more _humans here." The dark-haired vampire shook his head, looking a bit disgusted. "We don't need humans at _all. _You _know _that."

Genesis, always ready to get under Zack's skin, continued to act playful. "And how do you know we aren't hiring her as an off-limits torturing device to the others? She has such a lovely neck." He gave an off-handed wink to Sephiroth. "So does her friend."

"Indeed they do," Sephiroth chimed in, smirking. "You can't tell me you didn't notice, Zack."

The dark-haired man threw his arms up in the air, completely exasperated. He wondered why he even bothered with these two sometimes. "I didn't, because I've already fed! I don't see why you have to hurt so many innocent humans when livestock isn't affected by us _and _it quenches the thirst!"

Sephiroth didn't miss a beat. "Not all of it, though." He waved an arm, indicating the humans on the dance floor that were unknowingly mingling with vampires. "And why should we deny ourselves if so many are willing?"

"Because it's the right thing to do."

Genesis snorted. "It's been centuries, and you're still going on about the 'right thing to do'?"

"Yes, because that's the way we should all be thriving." Yet Zack turned to the dance floor and caught one of his kind feeding on some poor girl. He was both disgusted and intrigued; he hadn't fed on a human for so long. This did not go unnoticed by Sephiroth.

"Human blood calms the bloodlust, you know."

"No, it just makes it worse, if you two are any indication," Zack snapped back, but Genesis had the true snappy tongue and wasn't afraid to use it.

"At least I don't have to feed every day, sometimes more than once."

"Better than hurting innocent humans. What's your new bartender going to do when she finds out?"

"She'll become addicted," Sephiroth mused, "as they all do. As will her friend, I'd imagine."

Zack had clearly had enough of this. "I'm getting out of here," he said before speeding off to the dance floor.

Genesis snaked his hand through Sephiroth's arm, leaning in close, as the silver-haired vampire sighed, looking amused. "Do you think he'll ever learn?"

"I don't, really. Why do we even let him work here?"

"Well, he is the first one I turned two thousand years ago. I probably just keep him around for nostalgia. As for you…" Sephiroth murmured as he looked at Genesis, eyes glowing almost blindingly. He leaned down as if to kiss the auburn-haired vampire, but instead brushed his lips over Genesis' neck, his fangs grazing the skin. Genesis moaned quietly.

"…I suppose I just like you."

--

Zack quickly searched the dance floor, finding the new bartender and her friend almost instantly. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized she was indeed dancing with another human. Her friend, however, was standing off to the side, looking uncomfortable, which was the perfect scenario for one of his kind to find and feed on him – he was in front of the young man in a flash; hands on his shoulders so no one else would dare touch him.

Cloud gasped a little and looked into the eyes of whoever touched him. 'Ah, shit, it's Zack,' he thought, 'the one whose eyes I've been trying to push out of my mind…'

Zack pulled the blonde closer, ignoring the sudden flare of bloodlust within him – after all, it was what he'd been doing for the past millennium or so - and leaned down to whisper quietly into his ear, knowing the human could hear him despite the noise, "You need to get out of here."

The blonde bit his lower lip, unsure why something about this man was so…otherworldly, for lack of better word. "Why? Tifa needs this job," he replied in Zack's ear.

Zack simply shuddered, that human neck was _so_ close, and he closed his eyes for a moment as he imagined himself finally indulging in a human's sweet blood, but he shook his head to clear it. He had already made his decision centuries ago to protect humans. He wasn't going to go back on it for anything. "It isn't safe here. I know I don't know you, and you don't know me, but…you need to leave."

Cloud scanned those glowing eyes, which seemed to flare whenever – now that he thought about it, they flared whenever his neck was close…he pulled Zack away from the dance floor. "Alright, I'll leave when you answer me honestly. And I'll take Tifa with me."

"Answer you honestly about what?"

"Why is this place called the Panic Café, and why aren't we welcome here?"

The vampire laughed a little and suddenly glanced everywhere but the human in front of him, wrenching his arm free as human touch became too much for him to handle. "Oh, believe me, you're plenty welcome here, but it's just…too dangerous. Can you trust me enough to believe that?"

Cloud's eyes flashed at the way Zack pulled from his touch. "Alright, I'll get her out of here."

Zack clenched his fists - he wanted to reach out to the blond, pull him close and quench the sudden nagging thirst that was clawing at him, but instead just said, "I'm sorry, I don't think I ever caught your name…"

He was about to lie seeing as something was telling him not to give his real name to Zack, but another part was telling him he'd be passing up an exciting future if he didn't. "It's Cloud."

"Cloud…" The vampire tilted his head and grinned for the first time in what seemed like years. "I like it."

"Thanks…maybe you'll catch me around," he said and started back towards the floor to find Tifa, but Zack caught him by the arm with superhuman speed.

"Wait…" he said, and that combined with the speed at which he'd reached out effectively halted Cloud in his tracks and he looked over his shoulder with a quizzical look on his face.

"Tifa will be fine for the next two hours and seven minutes," Zack murmured, more to reassure himself than anything. He slowly pulled Cloud close, his free hand resting on the blonde's waist. "Dance with me?"

Cloud had never really been much of a dancer, but searching Zack's eyes as he was pulled close, all he could say was, "S-Sure."

Zack then skimmed his arm down Cloud's arm and held the other side of the human's waist, pulling him even closer and grinning again, instantly moving with the blonde to the pulsing music in a way that was completely inhuman, and Cloud practically moaned just because of it, but managed to refrain. His suspicions grew by the second as he moved his own hips to the beat with the other man's, his hands sliding up those otherworldly arms – who could say no?

Just then, Zack pulled Cloud close enough to be able to lean down and inhale the skin of his neck, shuddering again; was he _trying _to torture himself into a frenzy? But Cloud didn't seem to mind, if the way he was clutching at Zack's arms was any indication. There was something about having that mouth so close to his neck that made him incredibly nervous, but also very excited. Zack's lips trembled, that sweet lifeblood was just _so _close and it would be so simple to give into what his instincts had been screaming at him to do for the past thousand years or so.

Meanwhile, Genesis looked up and spotted the two on the dance floor, almost dropping the glass he'd been cleaning as his crystal vision focused on the scene that was happening. "S-Seph? I think Zack might be masochistic."

The eldest vampire raised an eyebrow as he caught the scene. "So it's true. He does talk big. Did he not just say that he wouldn't let himself be tempted by the humans?" Genesis checked the clock.

"About ten minutes ago, yes. If Zack is to honor his promise to himself, I sure hope that boy feels something odd going on and pushes him away - for Zack's sake. Personally, I think it would be hilarious if he gave in after preaching so nobly."

Sephiroth smirked and leaned against the bar counter, resting his chin in one hand. "I wonder. What do you say we watch it play out, hmm?"

Genesis set his glass down and leaned next to Sephiroth. "Let's."

Cloud could sense the haze that settled around him when Zack leaned in close, and he wondered if anyone else sensed it. He wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to know while one hand reached up to tangle in his hair, lips just barely brushing the skin of his neck. It was then that Cloud let himself believe that there was something not quite human about Zack; no one had ever made him shiver the way he had when those strange, inviting fingers slid into his hair. It was a beautiful illusion covering up Zack's true intentions. Cloud could just sense it.

The vampire inhaled a sharp, quiet breath when he felt Cloud relax in his arms. Damn, it would be easy to take what he needed, what he should be thriving on - and he leaned in a hair closer, letting his fangs barely prick the human's skin – he was just far too alluring and so damn _tempting._

It was then that Cloud gasped and managed to break the illusion, pushing off of Zack and covering his neck. He stared in disbelief – had he imagined what he just felt? The glowing eyes widened and he gasped as well, his eyes unbelievably wide. His hand flew to his mouth to make sure he didn't actually take any of Cloud's blood and he looked around in a panic. "You…you should leave."

Cloud traced his fingers over his neck and stared in complete disbelief when he saw Zack's hand go to his _mouth, _of all places, which definitely didn't help his suspicions. He nodded quickly, speechless, and disappeared into the crowd to find Tifa.

From his spot behind the counter, Sephiroth looked almost disappointed. "Hmph," he mused. "It appears he can control himself, after all."


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **The Panic Café

**Authors: **Ainahim Twilightbait and RainbowSerenity

**Pairings: **Zack/Cloud, Sephiroth/Genesis (it's hot, you know it).

**Rating: **M eventually, but T right now

**A/N: **Ainahim's Notes – RS translated this one from RP to story. And also, usually I'm not too up on vampire-feeding-off-other-vampire, but then I realized...duh, the blood of the humans they drink is still going through them, so yeah, it's possible. It just doesn't fill them entirely. Don't even pay attention to that, I'm simply musing on vampire theories. I think it's appropriate for this type of story. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

RS's Notes – NEXT CHAPTER. LUFF IT.

**DISCLAIMER: We do not claim to own anything Final Fantasy related. This monstrosity proves our statements further, being as it has nothing to do with the FFVII universe.**

* * *

**The Panic Café**

**Chapter 2  
**

* * *

The music was still humming throughout the club, the feel of bodies human and vampire alike pulsing on the floor in more ways than one. Cloud couldn't feel any of that, however. All he could feel was panic – how appropriate.

He found Tifa easily, who was still dancing with the random person he'd seen earlier. She immediately glanced up when he approached, worry automatically in her eyes at his expression and shouted over the music, "What happened?"

Cloud shouted back, a distinct nervous waver in his voice. "There's been a change of plans. We have to leave."

"What?" Tifa glanced at the person she'd been dancing with, barely having a chance to say goodbye before Cloud dragged her out of there, his grip tense and unyielding. She couldn't speak until they were near the edges of the dance floor, where the music was much less intense. "Cloud, what's wrong?"

Cloud continued to tug at her, not bothering to speak until they were safely outside of the club, away from the stifling, throbbing music. "We can't come back here anymore." He sounded oddly firm and disappointed at once. "Can we just go?"

Tifa sighed heavily. "Oooookay." She got in the car and waited until Cloud had sat down beside her before turning to him with an exasperated look. "And just why can't I go back to my new place of employment? You know that I _need _this job."

"I know. But trust me – you don't need _this _job, you need _a _job. There are plenty of other less dangerous bars."

She raised an eyebrow. "Dangerous? Okay, it's probably hazardous to my hearing, but how else is it dangerous? I mean, sure, Sephiroth seemed a little...out there, but he did give me the job. And the people I danced with were nice enough."

Cloud let out a frustrated little growl, almost wishing that Zack _had _done something, left some kind of proof that he obviously wasn't human, just so he could prove his words to Tifa. "Zack...Zack told me that it wasn't safe, and since he's an employee who should obviously be promoting the place, it's probably a good idea for us to listen when he says we shouldn't be there."

Tifa blinked at Cloud's rambling, something sticking out in her mind. "Zack? Who..." She trailed off as a friendly-looking man with spiky black hair came to mind. "Oh, him. He seemed nice enough too, from what little I saw of him."

"Yeah, I guess." The blond suddenly tensed, which seemed apparent in his voice. "Can we just go?"

Tifa moved to start the car, but looked at Cloud strangely before she did so. "Hey, are you alright? You seem very...well, panicked."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

There was a pause for silence until Tifa sighed and crossed her arms, keys still in her hand. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why you're so set on never going back to what would probably be a fairly well-paid job!"

Cloud flinched and practically yelled, "If you want to get eaten alive, then stay! If not, then drive me the hell home, _please_."

"Okay, okay! Geez." Tifa nervously started the car, so surprised by Cloud's sudden outburst that she felt she would've fallen over had she not been sitting in the car. She put the car in reverse, letting her foot linger on the brake for a second. "...Eaten alive?"

The blond looked out the window, glad that Tifa was finally moving the damn car. "Like I said, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Tifa rolled her eyes. "And like _I _said, try me." She was glad that Cloud seemed to have calmed down for the moment, even though he simply fell into silence and didn't answer her. She drove quietly, racking her mind as to why Cloud was so against a harmless little bartending job until his voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"...I'm sorry for yelling earlier."

She shook her head. "It's okay." And it really was. Sometimes Cloud just seemed so withdrawn. "I don't know _why _you yelled, but everyone's entitled to an outburst once in awhile, I guess."

He smiled a little in the glow of the streetlights they were passing. "It's a good thing you understand. I can't afford having you not like me – you're the only one who does." He laughed a little, though it seemed a bit sad.

Tifa chuckled lightly. "Oh, you know that's not true. You just don't give anyone else a chance. Not everyone is out to get you, you know." When Cloud snorted in response, her tone became exasperated. "Well, hey, it's true! You've gotta give people the benefit of the doubt or you'll be stuck with me nagging for you to put the vampire books down forever."

Cloud paused. "...Speaking of vampire books, maybe you should be picking them up."

"Why?"

"Oh...you'd be surprised." Cloud scratched the back of his neck.

Tifa shook her head again. "What, did you run into one there or something?" Without waiting for a reply, she continued, "Hey, where were you, anyway? I was going into the dance crowd, and the next thing I knew, you disappeared."

Cloud bit his lip, knowing full well he was answering both of her questions, even if she wasn't quite aware of it. "I...was with Zack."

A slow smile crossed Tifa's face. "Oh, reeeally? I _thought _he might be your type."

Cloud blushed furiously, hoping Tifa couldn't see it in the dark confines of the car. "N-No, it wasn't like that! ...Much," he added with a murmur.

The smile turned into a full-fledged grin. "See, now we _have _to go back! You like him!"

"No I don't – and no, _we _don't." Cloud gritted his teeth. "You can't 'like' somebody after ten minutes of dan...cing..." he trailed off, inwardly cursing himself at that word. Tifa knew that he did _not _dance under any circumstances.

Her mouth fell open. "You _danced _with him!? You must like him, then! We went out for what, two years, and you never danced with me once!"

"I almost danced with you that one time..." Cloud replied defensively, though it was hardly convincing.

There was a definite smirk in Tifa's voice. "Yeah, but certainly not for ten minutes." She laughed a little. "That's it, we're definitely going back tomorrow night – at the very least so I can tell Sephiroth I can't take the job for whatever insane reason you're not telling me."

Cloud groaned unhappily. "Fine, as long as you don't take the job."

"I still don't understand why you don't want me to," Tifa muttered.

"Like I said, pick up a vampire book. Maybe then you'll know." Cloud's voice had a little sing-song tone to it, like how one would talk when saying 'I know something you don't know!'

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You'll know if you read one, Tifa. Just trust me on this."

"Whatever." Tifa knew darn well she wasn't going to read any of that trash, no matter how much her mind was telling to not ignore Cloud's advice. It was so dumb. Vampires didn't exist.

--

Vampires were certainly existing in the dark shadows of an empty Panic Café the next day, where Sephiroth was already at the bar, getting things ready for the willing humans and the rest of his kind that night. Even though he was deathly pale and his senses were dulled from not yet feeding that day, he still knew when Genesis suddenly unlocked the front door and strolled in, calling his name.

Sephiroth smirked, answering when Genesis came closer, but not turning around. "Yes?"

Genesis practically slithered behind the bar, looking far too tempting as he did so. He slipped his arms around Sephiroth's waist, murmuring in his ear, "You don't look so well..."

"Hmm..." Sephiroth leaned back in the other's arms and glanced over his shoulder as much as he could. "What do you propose we do about that?"

Genesis smiled just enough to expose his fangs, sliding a teasing tongue over them. "You're the 'master'."

"So I am." Sephiroth gracefully turned in Genesis' arms, threading his fingers through the other's hair and tilting his head back just enough to expose that pale, tempting neck. He greedily inhaled that scent, wondering in the back of his mind if Genesis smelled as alluring to anyone else.

A sharp groan filled the air as Sephiroth teasingly brush his fangs over where there should have been a pulse point on Genesis' neck, only waiting a moment before he sank his fangs into that perfect skin. He closed his lips tightly over the wound, pressing closely to make sure he didn't miss a drop of his most desired drink. Genesis dug his fingers into the fabric clinging to Sephiroth's hips with a shuddering moan, unable to help himself – his sire feeding on him was always more intimate and pleasurable than it had any right to be.

Sephiroth pulled Genesis closer, leaning his hips into the other's as they backed up into the counter, suddenly feeling ravenous. It seemed only the other man's blood could be so fulfilling and not at once.

He finished feeding all too soon, pressing a kiss to the rapidly fading mark's on Genesis' neck before leaning up and capturing those lips, blood still thick on his tongue. Genesis gasped, diving into Sephiroth's mouth as they battled their tongues for every drop of blood that was left, one of his legs coming up to wrap around his sire's waist. Sephiroth groaned in response, reached under the other's thighs and easily lifting him up to sit on the counter, their desperate kiss never breaking.

Genesis made a surprised noise before it was swallowed with a groan and laced his fingers around the back of Sephiroth's neck. The silver-haired man's hands slid from where they'd been gripped in Genesis' hair and slowly down his chest, where they came to slowly undo the button of his pants.

A loud, needy moan filled the air even though it was hidden under frantic lips. Sephiroth smirked into the kiss, slowly, slowly, _slowly _pulling down the zipper. He had every intention of having his way with Genesis right there on the counter, but that didn't mean he had to rush it.

Zack's sudden appearance suddenly made him think otherwise. "You two should really get a room."

Genesis broke the kiss, looking over his shoulder to glare at Zack. "You _had _to come to work today?"

Sephiroth was also glaring at Zack, his eyes practically smoldering. If it had been any other vampire other than Zack in the room, they probably would've faint dead away. "Indeed. I didn't think you would, especially after your little stunt with that human last night."

"...What stunt?"

"The masochistic, almost-feeding-on-the-blond-with-perfect-veins stunt," Genesis replied bluntly, obviously still angry at the interruption.

Zack took no notice at the tone of voice, but instead at the words. He knew Genesis was right, especially since he'd gone half of his existence without feeding on humans and fully intended to keep it that way, but... "Perfect _veins_? Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

Genesis didn't answer right away, but instead let his eyes slide to Sephiroth, who had squeezed his thigh in a silent promise that they'd continue what had been going on before the interruption. He smirked as his sire turned away with a languid stretch, looking considerably less pale, before turning to reply again. "You know it is. We both saw you leaning down to his elegant neck, wanting to take what is rightfully yours by turnright."

There was a harsh, dark undertone to Zack's words, and it probably didn't help that he was gritting his teeth so hard, it was a wonder his fangs didn't shatter the rest of them. "It wasn't _rightfully _mine. It's _his _blood - therefore, he should get to keep it."

Genesis hopped off the counter. "Zack, listen to me. Does a lion look at an antelope and think 'Oh, maybe I shouldn't eat it because it could have a family?' No. A lion thinks, 'I'm hungry. Look. There's food.' How many times do I have to explain that to you!? We are the hunters, and they are the hunted. That's just how things go."

"It shouldn't be like that!" Zack shook his head furiously. "By all technicalities, you and I shouldn't even exist! Why should we feed on humans, most of them to their deaths? What right do we have to treat them as mere food instead of the ones with actual _souls_?"

"Because that's what we are." Zack opened his mouth to argue, but Genesis continued in a deathly serious tone, "Whether we were born or turned...justice doesn't love us, Zack. So shun justice."

Zack threw his arms up in exasperation, suddenly in no mood to argue anymore. "Whatever. I'm still not going to fall on your side. No human will ever tempt me enough to feed on them."

Genesis gave an exasperated groan. "I don't know why you bother to keep that stupid promise, since you only made it for that silly little friend of yours. She died hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Just get over it."

There was a stunned silence before Zack was in front of Genesis, yanking on his collar and his eyes glowing ablaze with his fangs bared, looking every bit like the monster he was supposed to be. His voice came low and dangerous, "Don't you _dare _talk about her like you knew her."

"...I don't need to have known her," Genesis replied after a second, turning his face away to feel less violated. "Not if she's been chaining you for a thousand years, when you could be great."

Zack shoved Genesis away angrily, almost sending him flying over the counter. "I don't need to be great. I don't _need _humans to survive. That doesn't equal greatness." Even though he spoke them heatedly, Zack's words only sounded convincing in his own mind, and Genesis shook his head, sensing that. Their fights were always the same, and it wasn't any wonder that this one hadn't ended differently.

"Who are you trying to fool?" he muttered before crossing the room to set up the sound board.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **The Panic Café

**Authors: **Ainahim Twilightbait and RainbowSerenity

**Pairings: **Zack/Cloud, Sephiroth/Genesis

**Rating: **M eventually, but T right now

**A/N: **Ainahim's Notes – Sorry for the long wait…I was supposed to translate this one into story format, but I've been so busy that all my free time is spent being brain dead. So RS did it, bless her soul. I'm a horrible, horrible person. I'm sorry!

RS's Notes – WHOO CLACK!

**DISCLAIMER: We do not claim to own anything Final Fantasy related. This monstrosity proves our point further, being as it has nothing to do with the FFVII universe.**

* * *

The minute night had fallen, Tifa had shoved Cloud into her car and driven him to the Panic Café, chattering about nothing the whole way there. But now that she had parked in front of the dark building, she was beginning to wonder if it was such a good idea – Cloud just looked so _against _being here.

She sighed. "Look, I'm going to go in, tell Sephiroth I can't have the job for whatever reason, maybe have a drink, dance a little, and go home. That's it."

Cloud hesitated for a moment before answering. "I can't leave you alone in there, so I guess I'll come with you. I'll _dance _with you if I have to."

She didn't bother wondering why she couldn't be left alone and patted his arm. "That's the spirit."

The two got out of the car and walked inside without any trouble as they had the previous night. Cloud followed Tifa protectively, so closely that he was practically touching her as he glanced around at all the patrons, wondering who were the humans and who were the nightwalkers. It was rather daunting, to say the least.

Tifa rolled her eyes at Cloud's paranoia, managing to shake him off as they sat on some barstools. She was about to ask for Sephiroth, but he mysteriously appeared in front of her, as though out of thin air, taking in her appearance with a slight smirk. "Ah, Tifa. Right on time."

She bit her lip and glanced at Cloud, wishing he would magically change his mind in the next second. When he showed no signs of thinking such a thing, she sighed a little. "Actually..."

"Yes?"

"I...don't think I'll be able to take the position. I'm sorry."

If Sephiroth was surprised at her job refusal, he didn't appear so. In fact, he actually looked rather amused for some reason. "I see." He suddenly gestured out towards the dance floor. "Well, why don't you stay and mingle for a bit, dance for awhile, and then tell me what you think?"

She had no intention of doing so, especially if the wide-eyed look that suddenly crossed Cloud's face was any indication, but she stood up anyway, as though in a trance. "...Sure."

Cloud turned his glare to Sephiroth, his eyes then noticing the glow in Sephiroth's green ones. Hadn't Zack's glowed the same way? His were much more..._passionate_, though...

He blinked and shook his head. Whoa, okay, he was _not _going down that road.

Sephiroth didn't seem to notice Cloud's unease, even when he glanced at his neck for a brief moment. "Why don't you dance as well?" He paused. "Ah, unless you'd rather have last night's partner. I believe I hear him coming," he added with a smirk.

Cloud tensed visibly. "I'd prefer to leave as soon as..." He looked around, noting in aggravation that Tifa had mysteriously vanished onto the dance floor. "Augh, Tifaaa..."

He didn't notice when Zack suddenly appeared next to them out of thin air, his eyes wide and his face even paler than normal. "Oh, Cloud," he said, getting the blond's attention. He nodded, trying not to stare at those 'perfect veins' Genesis had oh-so-nicely mentioned earlier. "Good to see you again."

Cloud jumped a little in his seat at Zack's appearance, taking in a shaky breath as he scanned the dark-haired man, trying his best not to sound nervous. "Y-Yeah. I was just accompanying Tifa to make sure she didn't get sucked back into the dance...and alas...I have failed."

Zack chuckled nervously, still staring at Cloud. Something about that look completely unnerved the blond, even more so when Zack suddenly stood up and glared at Sephiroth. "Stay out of this." He grabbed Cloud's wrist without another explanation except for, "Come with me, please."

Cloud could only reply with a noise that sounded both intrigued and not, hardly daring to tear away from Zack's inhuman grip. They disappeared out back. Sephiroth watched them leave with a smirk, knowing it would be little time before Zack's bloodlust caused history inevitably repeated itself.

"How long will we be able to resist?"

--

Oddly enough, outside the club, the music had almost softened completely, leaving only an eerily silent night besides the wind and Zack's voice. "Why did you come back?"

Cloud sighed and glanced around, more than a little nervous, although he tried to keep it out of his tone. "Tifa wouldn't stand for staying away without properly declining the job. I didn't want to leave her alone there," he said, conveniently leaving out how he also wanted to confirm what he'd felt on his neck the night before. But that could wait.

"And yet she's not the one I told not to come back," Zack replied, running a hand through his hair. His expression had gotten a lot more panicked, and he was pacing around like a caged animal, talking to himself. "Why? Why did you have to come back?"

The panicked feeling seemed to be projecting somehow, since Cloud started to feel a bit unnerved himself, although he felt he had more of a reason to be, especially since he couldn't help himself and finally blurted out, "You're all vampires, aren't you?"

Zack stopped pacing, his gaze snapping up towards Cloud, where he stared with his eyes burning. "Wha...what?"

"I'm right, aren't I?" Cloud's breath was coming in ragged gasps, making it hard enough to talk without realizing just who – or _what _– he was alone in a dark alley with. "That's why this place is dangerous for mortals. That's why your eyes glow. That's why..." His hand flew to his neck, covering it in an almost defensive gesture. "...That's why you almost fed off of me last night."

There was silence for a moment when Zack tore at his hair again, his eyes darting around like he couldn't _believe_ what he was hearing. Before he could reply or even stop himself from doing so, he'd rushed forward and pinned Cloud to the wall by his shoulders with such a grip that it would only take just the slightest bit more force to crush the bones under there.

"Fine," he snarled, sounding a little more angry than panicked now. "Yes. Yes, I am. I am a vampire. Sephiroth is, Genesis is, half of the _people _in there are bloodsucking monsters like myself that are feeding on defenseless humans who have no idea that their lives are being drained away. Is that what you wanted to hear!?"

Cloud winced in pain, both at practically being hurled at the wall and from the strength of the hands gripping his shoulders. "I...I'm sorry," he stammered. "I...only wanted the truth."

Zack gave an insane, bone-chilling laugh that sent a shiver down Cloud's spine. "_You're _sorry? For what? For tempting the only one of my kind that _doesn't _feed on humans?" He leaned his head down just enough to bury his face in the blond's neck, inhaling sharply, desperate to get as much of him as he could. "I don't know what it is about your blood that's making me forget all of the morals I've held for the past thousand years, and it's driving me _insane!_"

Cloud gave a little moan before he could help himself, and at hearing it, Zack's hands flew from his shoulders to his wrists, pinning them against the wall. Cloud barely noticed. _He _was tempting _Zack? _That was all that seemed to stick in his mind even though every instinct was telling him to _scream,_ to run for his life since Zack's fangs were so incredibly close. "M-Maybe it's my affinity with vampires," he finally managed to say, giving a nervous, breathless laugh.

"Affinity?" Zack's voice seemed so much sharper and clearer, even though his face was still buried in Cloud's neck. "Kid, you have no _idea _what it's like to be in a den of monsters. To be the only one who wants to _protect _the humans instead of treating them like mere _food, _and oh god, I just want to protect you too, but you're driving me _mad _and I don't know _why..._" Zack was more than aware that he was rambling, but found it was the only thing keeping him from sinking his teeth into Cloud's skin, so if he had to sound like a blithering idiot, so be it.

"I...I wish I knew," Cloud said softly, wiggling his fingers as though to break the hold Zack had on his wrists, but he couldn't – or maybe he just didn't want to. "But...I think I'm only able to break your spell once. And I already wasted that chance, so...I'm kind of leaving it up to you to do the right thing."

A low, humorless laugh broke the silence. Cloud shivered again when Zack's lips vibrated against his neck, both at that laugh and at his words. "You're leaving it up to a monster to _do the right thing? _Are you _mad? _Do you realize that I could break your wrists with just a little more force? That I could drain you of all of your blood right now and leave you dead right here?"

"...But...will you?"

Zack somehow managed to force himself to pull his face from Cloud's neck at his breathless tone, somehow really _looking _at him for the first time since they'd met. He stared into those eyes softly, realizing that his own eyes had once been that shade of blue before...before he'd gotten turned.

For some reason, this made him release the blond's wrists, stumbling backwards when he realized what he'd come so close to doing _again. _"No..." he muttered, still stepping backwards until his back hit the wall and he plopped down, his eyes still wide and horrified. "I'm not."

Cloud also sunk down the wall, more in relief at Zack letting go of his wrists more than anything – that grip had been brutal. "Thank god," he murmured under his breath, his heart beating double time, like it had stopped during that whole exchange.

There was a beat of silence before Zack chuckled quietly, not sounding the least bit amused. "I am different from my kind in that I actually value human lives, so I'll tell you this..." He stared at Cloud, his gaze hard and piercing. "...There is no escape for you now. I'll protect you as much as I can, but eventually I'll either succumb to my bloodlust or fall on the knife trying to avoid it," he said, unable to help a wince. "I can only hope it's the latter for your sake."

Ironically, Cloud had been rubbing his wrists during Zack's little speech, trying to get the blood flowing through them again. "What if I try to never see you again?" he asked, already knowing the answer. "Will I still end up back here at the doors of Panic Café anyway?"

"I can only hope not," Zack replied, shaking his head slowly. "But...your friend..." He turned and stared at the door they'd come out of earlier. "...She's easily falling under the spell." His gaze turned back to Cloud. "I don't understand why you aren't, but for that I'm glad and I'm begging you to try your damndest to stay the hell away."

"I can't make any promises," Cloud said, his eyes on the vampire. "But then again...neither can you."

Zack stood up and chuckled a bit, still not sounding the least bit amused. "I guess not. I don't see why you'd believe a promise from a monster, anyway."

"Well...like you said, you're different," came the blond's quiet reply, wishing that he could also stand up, but knew his legs still felt like jelly and there was no way he'd be able to steady himself. "Right?"

"Yes, but I'm still a monster," Zack sighed, shaking his head. His eyes turned to gaze at Cloud again, so intently that it was almost as if he was staring into his very soul, trying to determine who exactly he was. "Don't take anything we say lightly."

Cloud shivered at the stare, almost as though a cold breeze had suddenly swept over him. "I won't..."

Zack's gaze was still on Cloud, his eyes drifting up and down, lingering on the blond's neck for just a moment too long. Cloud's hand reached up to cover his pulse point with his hand when he noticed this, and though he wouldn't admit it right then, Zack was glad for that. "You should probably go inside. Tifa's wondering where you are."

"I'll try to keep her away from here, but like I said – no promises." Cloud gave Zack one last warning glance, his hand still covering his neck, before disappearing back into the club.

The vampire shuddered, realizing that if his heart was still beating, it would no doubt be practically flying out of his chest by now. To his horror, he knew that this didn't freak him out as much as it really should have.

_Cloud...what is it about you?_

--

It didn't take long for Cloud to find Tifa, who was luckily dancing with a group of humans. She jumped about a foot in the air when he tapped her shoulder, but looked like she was having way too much fun in the meantime. "Hey, Cloud! Where have you been?" she asked, shouting over the music.

"Trying to find you!" Cloud lied unconvincingly. "And now I have, so it's time to go!"

Tifa batted his hand away, still dancing. "No way! This place is great!" Her movements changed when the song suddenly switched without so much as a pause. "I don't know why you don't want me to work here!"

Cloud's eyes widened when he noticed the glowing eyes of someone who'd just joined her little dancing group. He found himself suddenly grabbing Tifa and dancing with her, glaring at the vampire, who looked unperturbed at the whole situation, but a bit disappointed at the same time.

Tifa blinked and glanced around, like she wasn't sure as to what had just happened. "Cloud! You're actually dancing!" she shrieked when she realized that, indeed, he actually was. Her pleased grin morphed into a frown a nanosecond later. "Okay, something's up. I _know _you don't dance, except with spiky-haired mystery men."

"You said you were going to dance a little bit, and now you've done that." Cloud sighed. "And no more about Zack, alright?" he added, not knowing that said vampire just happened to walk back into the club the moment he said that.

Tifa did notice, however. "Oh look, there he is! Should I call him over?" she asked with a grin. "I knooow you liiiike hiiiim..."

Cloud shook his head vigorously, his heart already racing at the thought of being in the same room with Zack again. "No, Tifa! We should probably just leave!"

It was an odd feeling – he knew that he definitely wanted to protect her from this place, from these...monsters. But at the same time, everything was screaming at him not to leave, to stay and mingle with these creatures he'd known all along existed somewhere. At least he'd know the danger for himself. Was that what set him apart?

"Oh, you're no fun." Tifa's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "You probably just want to go home and _reeead,_" she added, sticking her tongue out.

Cloud sighed and started pulling her off the dance floor, somehow staying under the guise that they were still dancing. Luckily, she fell for it and didn't protest, moving her body to the pounding beat of the song.

Zack was glad that they seemed to be leaving. He'd sat down at the bar, his arms crossed on the counter, when he'd come back inside and realized that Cloud was _still _there, determined to ignore the blond's presence even though he seemed hypersensitive to it. Too bad it was just as hard to ignore Sephiroth.

"Where have _you _been?" the silver-haired vampire asked, smirking at Zack's pained expression.

"None of your damn business."

Genesis suddenly appeared behind Zack, his expression mirroring Sephiroth's. "Oh, of course it's none of our business...when you step outside the club with a sexy-necked blond kid." He dashed behind the counter in the blink of an eye, still looking highly amused.

Zack gritted his teeth, trying to settle his emotions and ignore Cloud's still-there presence in the club at the same time. "Who asked you!?"

"We did," Sephiroth replied without missing a beat.

"I said that it's _none of your damn business,_" Zack hissed out, his hands clenching into fists, aware that he was probably about to draw his own blood, but didn't really care at the moment.

Genesis glanced around, raising an eyebrow when he saw Cloud dragging Tifa out of the club, his expression anxious and hers upset. "Looks like you scared him away."

Zack laughed quietly. "Not _scared _him away, you idiot. I gave him reasonable incentive to get out of this snake pit."

"That sounds like scaring him off to me." Sephiroth sighed dramatically. "And to think, you could have had your own little toy."

Zack didn't dignify that with a response except for crushing a glass in his fist, his whole body shaking with fury.

And outside, Tifa wasn't all too happy, either.

"Cloud! What the hell?"

Cloud didn't let go of her arm until the door was fully closed behind them and finally managed a few words. "...Geez, you're a lot harder to drag around than you used to be."

Tifa put her hands on her hips in a huff. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ohhhh nothing...you sweets hog." Cloud nonchalantly rubbed his arm, knowing his plan would work perfectly.

Of course, it went off without a hitch when Tifa's mouth fell open. "Meanie!" she cried, taking off and chasing after the blond when he started to run, leading them right to her car. Perfect.

Cloud beat her there, plopping on the hood with a little smirk, laughing a bit when she caught up and punched his arm lightly. "And you know, you're just a...vampireaholic!"

"Hmph, so are you," Cloud replied, knowing that his words were truer than she knew. "You just don't know it yet."

"Puh-lease," Tifa said, rolling her eyes. She finally found her keys and unlocked the car, hitting the automatic unlock for the passenger side. "I'm not the one staying up all night reading gory fairy tales."

Cloud slid into the passenger seat, turning to look at the nearly invisible door of the Panic Café for what he hoped and dreaded to think would probably be the last time. "Fairy tales, indeed."


End file.
